PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Structured weight loss program helps kids from low-income families lower BMI

According to new study in Academic Pediatrics

2013-03-13
(Press-News.org) Philadelphia, PA, March 13, 2013 – Overweight and obese children in low-income households can meet or exceed the Expert Committee Recommendations Regarding the Prevention, Assessment, and Treatment of Childhood and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity when given access to a structured weight management program, according to a new study published in Academic Pediatrics.

The epidemic of overweight and obesity in the United States affects children, particularly those in low-income families, where they are at higher risk due to unhealthy diets and consumption of higher calorie, high-fat foods and sweetened drinks with limited opportunities for daily physical activity. If left untreated, these conditions are likely to extend into adulthood, placing the child at higher risk for obesity-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

The state of Tennessee has struggled with this issue and ranked fifth highest for child obesity in the 2007 National Children's Health Survey. The year before, Tennessee Medicaid (TennCare) partnered with the international commercial weight loss program, Weight Watchers, to help treat obesity. Through the TennCare Weight Watchers Partnership Program overweight and obese TennCare recipients under the age of 21 were able to participate with no out-of-pocket cost.

A group of researchers led by the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, CO evaluated the weight change of 280 qualified participants aged 10 to 17 years old, who were referred by their health care providers to participate in the program.

"We hypothesized that individuals who participated in the program would have a reduction in body mass index (BMI) z score significantly greater than zero and that there would be no difference in the reduction in BMI z score between boys and girls," says Nia S. Mitchell, MD, MPH, lead investigator and assistant professor of general internal medicine at CU School of Medicine and CU's Anschutz Health and Wellness Center and Colorado Health Outcomes. "As secondary analyses, we also determined if there was a threshold of participation, in duration or number of meetings, which might be associated with clinically significant weight loss." Use of a BMI z score is the optimal way to measure weight change in children.

The team also compared weight change to the Expert Committee Recommendations Regarding the Prevention, Assessment, and Treatment of Childhood and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity.

By the end of their participation in the program, the weight change in 53 percent of the children either met or exceeded the recommendations of the Expert Committee. Participants who attended the program for more than 12 weeks and those who attended ten or more meetings saw a five percent decrease in BMI z score. More than half the participants attended eight or fewer weekly meetings, while nearly 30 percent attended ten or more.

While it is difficult to define significant weight loss in children because they are still growing, the study demonstrated that a clinically significant change in BMI z score was achieved by the 25 percent of those who participated in the program for more than 12 weeks.

Says Dr. Mitchell, "Our analysis suggests that the TennCare Weight Watchers Partnership Program was associated with a majority of participants meeting the recommendations of the Expert Committee. Providers should, therefore, consider referring their patients to similar structured programs." The study team also points out that this type of partnership can give low-income families the opportunity to give their children a good chance for weight management success. ### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

High-performance, NW-OPTs open the way for optoelectronic device miniaturization

2013-03-13
Research team of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, South Korea, developed high-performance organic phototransistors (OPTs) based on single-crystalline n-channel organic nanowires. Phototransistors are a kind of transistors in which the incident light intensity can modulate the charge-carrier density in the channel. Compared with conventional photodiodes, phototransistors enable easier control of light-detection sensitivity without problems such as the noise increment. However, to date, the research has mostly focused on thin-film OPTs, ...

Social networking policies may violate employee rights, NLRB finds

2013-03-13
Social networking policies may violate employee rights, NLRB finds Article provided by Bryan E. Kuhn, Counselor at Law, P.C. Visit us at http://www.bryankuhnlaw.com In the Internet era, social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have largely replaced the proverbial workplace water cooler. Unlike old-fashioned chatter between coworkers, however, an employee's gripes and grievances can easily become both public and permanent when aired online. To address this issue, many businesses have sought ways to safeguard their online reputations by creating policies ...

Texas Boy's Forearm Amputated After Washing Machine Accident

2013-03-13
Texas Boy's Forearm Amputated After Washing Machine Accident Article provided by Portner & Bond, PLLC Visit us at http://www.portnerbond.com/ An eight-year-old Texas boy wanted his Spider-Man bed sheets, which were in the washing machine. He left his bedroom, went into the garage and opened up the washing machine to take them out; the agitator stopped spinning when he lifted the lid as it was supposed to. But when he reached inside, it started spinning again, according to the El Paso Times. As a result, he lost his forearm. Defective-Product Lawsuits Catastrophic ...

Which type of bankruptcy is right for you?

2013-03-13
Which type of bankruptcy is right for you? Article provided by The Law Offices of Raymond J. Antonacci, LLC Visit us at http://www.rjalegal.com If you are considering bankruptcy, you typically have two different options to choose from: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. You may have questions about which option is right for you. The answer: it depends on your personal situation. In both types of bankruptcy, you eventually are granted a discharge, meaning that you no longer have to pay many of your outstanding debts. However, that is where the similarities end for the ...

Child custody and visitation in Michigan

2013-03-13
Child custody and visitation in Michigan Article provided by Law Office of Michael A. Robbins, PLLC Visit us at http://www.michaelarobbins.com Michigan couples considering a divorce have a lot to think about. Thinking about divorce is even more complicated when children are involved. Michigan child custody laws are in place to protect children and help create a post-divorce setting that is best for them. Types of child custody in Michigan In Michigan there is both physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody refers to where the child will actually ...

Possible changes to DWI laws in North Carolina

2013-03-13
Possible changes to DWI laws in North Carolina Article provided by Barnett & Falls Visit us at http://www.barnettfalls.com Several recent proposals under consideration at the North Carolina legislature would increase penalties for first time and repeat DWI offenders. The changes are part of a pattern to stiffen DWIpenalties in the state. The first bill changes the definition of habitual offender. Under current law, a DWI habitual offender is someone charged with four DWIs in a ten-year period. The habitual offender charge is a felony. Penalties for a Class ...

OMG! California proposes tougher distracted driving laws for teens

2013-03-13
OMG! California proposes tougher distracted driving laws for teens Article provided by Law Office of Daniel J. O'Neill Visit us at http://www.danieljoneill.com Because of the danger that distracted drivers, particularly those in the teenage years cause, many states have passed laws banning activities ranging from texting or using hand-held cellphones while behind the wheel. In California, it is illegal for drivers younger than 18 to use a cellphone (hand-held or hands-free) while behind the wheel. Additionally, there is a statewide ban on texting while driving for ...

Statistics show traffic fatalities rising in the US

2013-03-13
Statistics show traffic fatalities rising in the US Article provided by Schuster Jachetti LLP Visit us at http://www.mydelawarelawyer.com/ Every year since 2005, the number of fatalities caused by motor vehicle accidents has declined -- until 2012. According to data released by the National Safety Council, a non-profit organization, more people were killed in auto accidents in 2012 than the year prior. The NSC reported that approximately 36,200 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2012, representing a 5 percent increase from the year before. The NSC ...

Fiscal-cliff law settles federal estate tax for now

2013-03-13
Fiscal-cliff law settles federal estate tax for now Article provided by The Haley Law Group, LLC Visit us at http://www.haleylawgroup.com Estate and tax planning have been complicated in the past decade or so by the fluctuating and uncertain federal estate tax. Thanks to last-minute action by Congress and President Obama, the top federal estate tax rate is set at 40 percent going forward on estates over $5 million. Adjusted for inflation, the first $5.25 million in estate assets will be exempt from federal estate tax for those dying in 2013. Estate taxes An ...

Does Michigan need stricter distracted driving laws?

2013-03-13
Does Michigan need stricter distracted driving laws? Article provided by MATZ & PIETSCH PC Visit us at http://www.matzandpietsch.com In the age of cellphone addiction, distracted drivers have become a common phenomenon on our roadways -- often leading to serious motor vehicle accidents. In 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 3,331 people lost their lives in distracted driving accidents across the country. In addition, approximately 387,000 people sustained personal injuries in such crashes that year. To prevent these dangerous ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time

‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’

Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible

Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound

American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care

Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential

Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research

Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration

Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce

Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care

Resident physician intentions regarding unionization

Healthy nutrition and physical lifestyle choices lower cancer mortality risk for survivors, new ACS study finds

[Press-News.org] Structured weight loss program helps kids from low-income families lower BMI
According to new study in Academic Pediatrics